Kenwood TM-431A... some assistance, please?

[Kesephist]

Way it looks, I may end up being the owner of the above mentioned radio through the good offices (snrk) of Ebay. Perhaps counting my chickens early...

The rig is the rig. No mic, antenna, power supply or manual. Bing has been even more than usually infuriating re: my quest to find manuals, and would be much pleased to find if someone has data to help.

I will be taking element 2 testing in September for Technician level license, and I would like to have this here up and running for when I get the assigned callsign.

Kesephist


(wonder if KE7FST is in use?)

[Fidel MD]

Yes, it is....some guy in SLC

The manual should be available here, but the link isn't working for me right now

http://www.kenwoodusa.com/UserFiles/File/UnitedStates/Communications/AMA/Manuals/TM-431A.pdf

Good luck!

[Sniper-T]

If that link doesn't work, your manual is here: http://www.manualslib.com/products/Kenwood-Tm-431a-259410.html

[Fidel MD]

Try this one, it works too

http://inform3.kenwoodusa.com/Manuals/TM-231A.pdf

Crap like this website of Kenwood is why I haven't bought a kenwood radio since a TS-430

[Kesephist]

Crap like this website of Kenwood is why I haven't bought a kenwood radio since a TS-430

This is being done to prep, as best as possible, given finances at hand. (The Krugerrand bush is not yet bearing at this time, and the Morgan tubers are still sort of unripe.) The radio layout in mind is a dual band, with compatible single bands (on regularly exercised standby) should the dual-band croak. ( and spares , but let's not go there yet.)

A known local kenwood dealer (none, btw) would have spared this inquiry. HT's are not a consideration, as their long reach is only through repeaters, and it is part of the plan to put little reliance on repeaters that may be down/nonexistent.

Assuming this unit, and until I test in September, the commonly listened-to frequency will be XXXXXXXXXXXXX, and the linchpin for the planned transmitting in UHF. VHF only will be easier to find, and have confided its base frq already to ****************** and ************ ************** *********** ***. (sorry, Nephew Norbert NSA; did you honestly think I was gonna make it THAT f*cking easy?) (Nephew Norbert being derived from his FCC relation, Uncle Charlie. )

[ElevenBravo]

You mention power supply, so Im thinking you want to run it base too...

Heres your power supply:
http://www.cheapham.com/products/Jetstream-JTPS28.html
Ive had one, and its a very very good unit.


For coax, find the RG8U that is the length you need:
http://www.cheapham.com/categories/Coax%2C-Wire%2C-RF-Connectors-and-RF-Adapters/Coax-Cable/

You can run up to about 50 feet of RG8X on VHF before you have too much loss:
https://www.hamcity.com/store/pc/RG-8X-c383.htm
Again, find the length you need.


Antennas for 2M:
https://www.hamcity.com/store/pc/144-MHz-c243.htm
This one would fit any budget and perform well:
https://www.hamcity.com/store/pc/CP22E-p502.htm


For a mast, you gonna hafta be creative since they appear to no longer sell antenna mast, its out of style...
Ive used a section of chain link fence top rail with good results, and its inexpensive:
http://www.lowes.com/Search=top+rail?storeId=10151&langId=-1&catalogId=10051&N=0&newSearch=true&Ntt=top+rail#!

Or, you can get the mast and assorted hardware here:
http://comingsoon.radioshack.com/search?q=antenna+mast


Microphone:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=kenwood%20tm%20431%20microphone&clk_rvr_id=856081969624&mfe=search


KE7FST:
Registered to an operator in Utah, Technician.


Good luck, the test aint that hard, *IF* you study!

EB

[bacpacker]

Jet stream makes pretty good equipment. I have a couple of their antennas and the work great.They have good gain and have worked very well for at least 10 years. Our group put one up at the local Red Cross. Still in use.

For power supplies IMO this is the best one for the price on the market. It also has built in protection on the output that will help keep spikes out of your radio. I have one and we got two for our group. Several other guys in the group have them as well. I don't know of one that has failed yet.

http://www.cheapham.com/alinco-dm-330mvt/

[Kesephist]

And now, the folly of talking far ahead of established fact. Cursed bid sniper. No Kenwood in the forseeable.

Anyone have an idea why UHF-only rigs are so apparantly difficult to find, yet VHF and VHF/UHF so abundant?

Kesephist

[bacpacker]

UHF isn't nearly as popular in most areas. That and dual band is available for not a lot more money.
Congrats voing after it.

[Kesephist]

An update... DID get a Kenwood on ebay... TM-241A... regrettably did not do FULL diligence, and will be getting a mic from a fourth party. The above manual links proved to be very useful with the new designation entered, thanks much you guys.

[ElevenBravo]

No sweat Kes, if the radio is good all the other stuff is nickle and dime... Not terribly unheard of for used gear. I bought my TenTech HF rig the same, no manual... no power cord... no mic. Have no regrets.

EB

[Kesephist]

No sweat Kes, if the radio is good all the other stuff is nickle and dime... Not terribly unheard of for used gear. I bought my TenTech HF rig the same, no manual... no power cord... no mic. Have no regrets.

EB

HF is moot for me aside from the sliver of 10m SSB that Techs get... and I am too damned old and slow to be smashing keys, and missing that section of my hearing to be chasing dits and dahs. You guys with the General licenses and up pretty much own everything from 10m up to 160m if I have this ARRL chart broken out properly... as well, as I have not found ANY transceivers in the 7000-7500 KHz band, although still looking at least for the rcvr side. I think I am a whole lot of study, or a SHTF event of national proportion, away from the xmtr side of that band. The study will, of course, come with time. So too will the SHTF event, or else we are all on here wasting time, effort, manpower and materials. Ideally the one will take place before the other.

"Kenny", once in-house and properly fed, won't suffer from disuse in the lack of a mike. I'll be scanning about, see what I can find.

One major thing about Ham prep that bothers me greatly is this excess reliance on repeaters. Repeaters that may or may not be present in the above national event. The HT's then become very good local radios and not much else.

Yes, very much cart before horse...

[bacpacker]

You are dead on about a high reliability on repeaters. When I was running our group, at least a portion of all our drills were held without using repeaters, including digital comms. We also would periodically run our weekly net simplex along with some others on repeaters to relay folks who couldn't make it direct.

[ElevenBravo]

No more key smashing...

No Code General is what is issued today, Extra still requires code.

A General operator can work 95% of HF frequencies, thus why I never plan to upgrade to Extra.


STUDY FOR THE GENERAL, JUST LIKE YOU DID FOR TECHNICIAN, AND GET ON HF!!

the *REAL* fun is HF, trust me!!

EB

[bacpacker]

Eb is right CW is no longer required. However there are lots of folks who do very little other than CW. In bad atmospheric conditions nothing works better and more reliable.
I passed code at 5 words per minute, which at the time was the minimum. I have never used it since and other than the odd letter or three I couldn't copy at all. Sad to say.

[ElevenBravo]

I pretty much suck at decoding CW so I use software to help... but thats what I work the most... Morse Code. Its a thrill!!

EB

[realist]

EB is there really that much difference? I guess I will have to look into it. I am just looking at starting to buy some gear to get started.

Regarding repeaters. The thing I do not like about them is they sound so convenient I would imagine it would be easy to become dependent on them. We have been having a lot of wild fires out here. I just read a story about one ham group who lost two of their repeaters to fire. So since they are normally out in the boonies and all by themselves I see them being gone in a SHTF situation.

[bacpacker]

We have a lot of repeaters around here and it is easy to depend on them. Most are in remote areas and when they go down now it usually takes a few days for them to get back up.
Be sure you know how Simplex works in your AO. Like everything else practice now before you have to function with it.

[Kesephist]

EB is there really that much difference? I guess I will have to look into it. I am just looking at starting to buy some gear to get started.

Regarding repeaters. The thing I do not like about them is they sound so convenient I would imagine it would be easy to become dependent on them. We have been having a lot of wild fires out here. I just read a story about one ham group who lost two of their repeaters to fire. So since they are normally out in the boonies and all by themselves I see them being gone in a SHTF situation.

I think the repeaters, post SHTF, will be those few preppers that have the equipment on hand and the ability to defend it. Wouldn't surprise me a inch if some of the more savvy groups of post SHTF jackals have receivers with DF capability and use that to home in on those few. The notion being that "if they have working radios, they have power, and probably a lot of other stuff" and therefore a target.

Any remote standalone repeater with a big enough battery pack to run off-grid (with an attached windmill/solar panel lash-up), barring catastrophic damage, will continue to function until someone either smashes it up for the parts or flat out captures the thing whole. Said repeater would have to be fairly remotely located, so far out that the said jackals would have to go a long way to get at it.

Kesephist

[bacpacker]

UHF/VHF Repeaters can be set up using a simple dual band radio both as a fixed radio or in a mobile.

DF'ing can be done with a HT. It is really pretty easy. We used to practice that from time to time, mainly looking for people trying to jam our repeaters. We found more than one. It's a good skill to have and well worth learning it. That gives the knowledge to figure out at least to some degree how to get around it. The best one, which is also good ham practice and saves battery life.

Run as low of a power setting as possible.

[ElevenBravo]

Post SHTF, .52 with100+ watts... or as many already have, 65 to 75 on high... with a good gain ground plane antenna up about 30 ft... should be able to talk 45+ miles line of sight... maybe more.

Horizontal polarization with a VHF dipole running VHF SSB, you can almost DOUBLE that, but not a lot of people have SSB rigs for 2M (think: Icom 706 family, which I used to run VHF SSB with and its a HOOT!)

EB

[Kesephist]

DF'ing can be done with a HT. It is really pretty easy. We used to practice that from time to time, mainly looking for people trying to jam our repeaters. .

OK... I'm not a fan of repeaters, clearly, but that is just me and my peculiarities...the assembled may note that that last is an awful big class... To the point, though; what collection of equine rectums is JAMMING repeaters, and WHY?

[ElevenBravo]

... what collection of equine rectums is JAMMING repeaters, and WHY?

Well, hate to admit it, but... assholes get ham tickets too... Just because its not CB doesnt mean ham doesnt attract the stray prick too.

Years ago, some agitated hammer was jamming the repeater by broadcasting Richard Pryor records... Yeah, that went over well... Hours and hours of F and Hell and etc.. etc.. Id imagine for the new ham, that was not very re assuring.

However, the club did an annual fox hunt (google) and in the end, the culprit was identified and the transmissions "stopped", mind you this persisted for a few months though...

Hams arre like cops are like doctors, etc.. (you get the idea), they are PEOPLE too, and not all people are good (some are rotten to the core).

EB

[bacpacker]

Around here a couple of equine rectums ( I may have to start using that...good one) got it out for the repeater owner and would just do to pester folks at various times. They had enough sense to not stay on for long periods. We still found them and turned them into the FCC. It took a while for anything to be done, but the fines were steep and they lost their ham gear.
Repeaters are not the best thing ever, but they do have their place. For example, I have been able to talk with BWRR on a repeater between us using one. We live a good piece apart (I'm guessing 100 miles or better) and there is no way we could make contact on 2M without it, barring SSB. OTOH folks rely on them way to much and most will be lost if they all go down.